Authors

Cleola Davis is a U.S. Army veteran and author of Forged in Battle: African American Officers Serving in the United States Army.

Her work documents the stories of African American officers whose leadership and sacrifice shaped military history.

Cleola did not begin as a writer.

She began with a responsibility.

After encouragement from a fellow service member who completed the program, she joined with hesitation, but also with conviction that these stories deserved to be preserved.

Modern Author Program

“ ”
“I knew nothing about writing a book… but I couldn’t let these stories go untold.”

—Payton Lynch

What Changed?

Before the book, Cleola carried history in her head and heart.

After the book, she carried it into print.

“I know nothing about writing a book. I still don’t.”

That humility is real.

But she finished.

What changed wasn’t just her skill set.

It was her identity.

From veteran to published historian.

From participant in history to preserver of it.

Goal

Publish a legacy or mission-driven book
Clarify and organize my ideas

Constraints

First-time author
Not a confident writer
Needed structure and accountability

Role

Academic / educator,
Nonprofit or mission-driven leader

Authors

Payton Lynch is a Product leader at Disney, where she builds digital experiences rooted in storytelling and guest advocacy.

By day, she helps power one of the most iconic storytelling brands in the world.

By night, she became an author.

Her first book, Rise From the Ashes, tells the story of her father-in-law, Robert Henry Lynch Jr., the property manager of Two World Trade Center on 9/11 who safely evacuated, then went back inside to help others and never returned.

Her second book, The Journey to You, continues her exploration of resilience and purpose.

Modern Author Program

“ ”
“I woke up at 3am and knew I had to write this book.”

—Payton Lynch

What Changed?

Payton didn’t plan to write a book.

She woke up at 3am and couldn’t shake the idea.

What followed was a full year of:

• Writing while working full-time at Disney
• Weekly accountability
• Structured deadlines
• Community support

“Writing a book is achievable. But it’s not always easy, especially if you’re working a full-time job.”

The structure made it possible.

The community made it sustainable.

Goal

Clarify and organize my ideas
Publish a legacy or mission-driven book

Constraints

Limited time / full-time job
First-time author
Not a confident writer
Balancing book with business or leadership role

Role

Executive / C-suite
Nonprofit or mission-driven leader

Arnobio Morelix

Authors

Arnobio Morelix is the co-founder and CEO of Sirius, a pioneering Brazilian higher education institution focused on the professions of the future.

Sirius partners with creators and digital schools to build accredited postgraduate programs and MBAs, helping them:

• Launch premium education products
• Increase average ticket size
• Strengthen market authority

Before founding Sirius, Arnobio:

• Led global teams of PhDs and data scientists
• Advised governments in 35+ countries on innovation policy
• Worked with Stanford University, the World Economic Forum, the Inter-American Development Bank, and the Kauffman Foundation
• Served as Chief Data Scientist at Inc. Magazine
• Served as CIO at Startup Genome

He is the author of the global bestseller Rebooted, which explores how digital transformation will reshape the future of work, featuring contributions from technology leaders like Vint Cerf and Martin Cooper.

His work has been featured in The New York Times, The Economist, The Wall Street Journal, and the BBC.

Modern Author Program

“ ”
“I tried to write a book for years. I could only finish it with this process.”

—Arnobio Morelix

What Changed?

The real shift happened before publication.

“Once we did the pre-publication campaign, all these new opportunities started coming.”

Conversations accelerated.

Partnerships surfaced.

Credibility solidified.

“Those conversations might have happened six months later. But they happened before the book was out.”

The campaign made it real.

“It made it easier to find people because they could see this was a serious project.”

The book wasn’t just content.
It was a signal.

Goal

Build authority or thought leadership
Establish a category or methodology
Support a consulting or speaking business

Constraints

Limited time / full-time job
First-time author
Wanted editorial guidance, not ghostwriting

Role

Academic / educator
Consultant / advisor

Jamie Russo

Authors

Jamie Russo is the founder of Tweetjoy and runs a boutique content agency serving startups.

he operates at the intersection of:

• Writing
• Brand building
• Community
• Multi-format content creation

For Jamie, writing wasn’t the end goal.

It was the first step into a broader creative platform — one that includes art, illustration, podcasting, and digital storytelling.

Modern Author Program

“ ”
“Writing is just the first step into a much larger creative world.”

—Jamie Russo

What Changed?

Before the book, Jamie was creating content.

After the book, he understood where she belonged.

“For me, the place I’ve found is in the writing community.”

The book clarified his creative direction and helped him attract an audience aligned with the brand she was building.

“That audience I built is such a better fit for the brand I’m building, for the books I’m writing, for the stuff I’m interested in.”

This wasn’t about publishing.

It was about positioning.

Goal

Clarify and organize my ideas
Support a consulting or speaking business

Constraints

First-time author
Wanted editorial guidance, not ghostwriting
Needed structure and accountability

Role

Founder / entrepreneur
Consultant / advisor

Angela Schroeder

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Authors

Angela Chanowsky is the founder of Unique Genius, where she helps business owners reclaim focus, freedom, and growth by building elite virtual teams.

She believes:

• Delegation is leadership
• Growth requires support
• You don’t scale alone

Her book journey wasn’t about adding “author” to her bio.

It was about becoming the kind of leader who can receive feedback, shed ego, and grow in public.

Modern Author Program

“ ”
“Editing wasn’t grammar. It was growth.”

—Angela Schroeder

What Changed?

Before the book, Angela was confident in her voice.

During the book, she realized confidence and coachability are not the same.

She describes the early draft as something she thought was “right.”

Then came feedback.

Defensiveness.
Rewrites.
More rewrites.

“I didn’t realize editing wasn’t grammar and punctuation. It was rewriting.”

The process taught her:

• You’re not always right
• Growth requires humility
• Courage includes vulnerability

The transformation wasn’t just on the page.

It was internal.

Goal

Build authority or thought leadership
Clarify and organize my ideas
Support a consulting or speaking business

Constraints

First-time author
Needed structure and accountability
Wanted editorial guidance, not ghostwriting

Role

Consultant / advisor

Katie Joy Duke

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Authors

Katie Joy Duke is a mindset coach, retreat leader, and former disability attorney.

Her memoir, Still Breathing, chronicles love, loss, Stage IV breast cancer, and reinvention.

When she joined the program, she already had over 100,000 words written across five years. What she didn’t have was clarity, structure, or the courage to finish.

Modern Author Program

“ ”
“I was almost so afraid of rejection that it was paralyzing.”

—Katie Joy Duke

What Changed?

Katie didn’t need motivation.
She needed structure.

Through developmental editing and guided revision, she:

• Cut thousands of unnecessary words
• Found the true arc of her story
• Turned a nonlinear draft into a clean, chronological memoir
• Discovered healing she didn’t expect

What began as chaos became a concise, 214-page memoir with a clear emotional arc.

The process wasn’t just about finishing a book.
It was about finishing a chapter of her life.

Goal

Clarify and organize my ideas
Publish a legacy or mission-driven book

Constraints

First-time author
Needed structure and accountability
Wanted editorial guidance, not ghostwriting

Role

Nonprofit or mission-driven leader
Memoir & Fiction Project

Jack Rasmussen

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Authors

Jack Rasmussen is a creative business consultant, entertainment strategist, and bestselling author of:

• Fine Dining: The Secrets Behind the Restaurant Industry
• Yin Yang: The Elusive Symbol That Explains the World

The second book carries a foreword by His Holiness the Dalai Lama — a rare distinction that elevates the project from book to global dialogue.

A USC Marshall graduate and operations leader at Sherwin-Williams, Jack blends business strategy with art, philosophy, and cultural storytelling.

Modern Author Program

“ ”
“This book wasn’t about what I had experienced. It was about who I was becoming while writing it.”

—Jeanie Duncan

What Changed?

After publication:

• Released two books in back-to-back years
• Secured a Dalai Lama foreword
• Expanded consulting footprint across business + entertainment
• Earned industry recognition and awards

The books became credibility assets, not vanity projects.

They positioned Jack as a thinker operating at the intersection of business, philosophy, and culture.

Goal

Build authority or thought leadership
Establish a category or methodology
Publish a legacy or mission-driven book

Constraints

First-time author
Wanted editorial guidance, not ghostwriting

Role

Nonprofit or mission-driven leader
Consultant / advisor

Madeline Pasimio, DDS

Authors

Madeline Pasimio is a practicing dentist in the San Francisco Bay Area and the author of Contrary to Conception — a deep dive into the history, science, and lived experiences behind birth control.

She wrote the book to:

• Debunk myths
• Expose misinformation
• Help individuals understand their biology
• Create solidarity around a deeply personal journey

Her goal wasn’t controversy.
It was clarity.

Modern Author Program

“ ”
“What even qualifies me to write a book?”

—Madeline Pasimio, DDS

What Changed?

When Maddie first considered writing a book, she asked a simple question:

“What qualifies me?”

The answer she received: learning.

That shifted everything.

Instead of waiting to feel “expert enough,” she leaned into curiosity, research, and community conversation.

Through the writing process, she:

• Refined early, scattered ideas into a focused thesis
• Connected with other emerging authors for idea development
• Discovered how many people carried untold stories about contraception
• Realized the power of truth-telling through narrative

What began as uncertainty became a book grounded in science, empathy, and lived experience.

Goal

Build authority or thought leadership
Clarify and organize my ideas
Publish a legacy or mission-driven book

Constraints

Limited time / full-time job
First-time autho
Wanted editorial guidance, not ghostwriting

Role

Healthcare or technical professional

Sam Perez

Authors

Sam Perez is a weekend morning anchor, traffic anchor, and multi-skilled journalist at WBIR 10News in Knoxville, Tennessee.

She was named the 2024 South Carolina Reporter of the Year after covering major statewide stories including the Alex Murdaugh trial, legislative updates, and high-profile sporting events.

She’s also the author of Deviate From Denial: Erasing the Stigma of Addiction and Recovery Through Inspirational Stories.

Her journalism career didn’t slow down after the book.

It accelerated.

Modern Author Program

“ ”
“People showed out for me in a way I couldn’t have imagined.”

—Sam Perez

What Changed?

Writing a book was always “in the back of her mind.”

But she wasn’t serious about it.

Until she was.

The project became a deep dive into addiction, recovery, and the people closest to her story.

Through the writing process, Sam gained something unexpected:

Humility.

“I learned about myself and my own thoughts and kind of got to challenge some of my own perceptions.”

That depth sharpened her voice as a journalist.

It made her reporting stronger.
More empathetic.
More human.

Sam expected support.

She didn’t expect the level of support she received.

“People showed out in a way I couldn’t have imagined.”

Pre-orders.
Encouragement.
Community.

That momentum built confidence, credibility, and visibility. Since publishing:

• Named 2024 South Carolina Reporter of the Year
• Elevated into a major anchor role
• Expanded her authority on addiction and recovery storytelling

Goal

Clarify and organize my ideas
Establish a category or methodology
Publish a legacy or mission-driven book

Constraints

Limited time / full-time job
First-time author
Needed structure and accountability

Role

Nonprofit or mission-driven leader

Jeanie Duncan

Authors

Jeanie Duncan is an executive and team coach who works with Fortune 100 and 500 companies, higher education institutions, and nonprofit organizations navigating complex change.

With 25+ years as a CEO, advisor, and strategist, she helps leaders align with purpose and create meaningful impact.

Her best-selling memoir, Choosing Me: The Journey Home to My True Self, explores identity, alignment, power, and self-trust.

But writing the book changed her more than she expected.

Modern Author Program

“ ”
“This book wasn’t about what I had experienced. It was about who I was becoming while writing it.”

—Jeanie Duncan

What Changed?

Jeanie had been writing for years.

But she wasn’t finishing.

“I needed someone to turn my homework into.”

She needed deadlines.
Rigor.
Accountability.

More importantly, she needed someone to challenge her.

After submitting her first draft, her editor said:

“This is a good book. I just don’t think it’s the book you really want to write.”

It was safe.
Polished.
Professional.

It wasn’t her.

That moment forced her to drop the corporate voice and write in her own.

“That’s when I found my voice. Truly my voice.”

Goal

Clarify and organize my ideas
Publish a legacy or mission-driven book

Constraints

Limited time / full-time job
Needed structure and accountability
Wanted editorial guidance, not ghostwriting

Role

Executive / C-suite
Memoir & Fiction Project